GRAMERCY GRAPHIC, February 1959

The Bank for Savings Exhibits
Ferguson Mechanical Banks
(Continued from last issue)

EDITOR'S NOTE — William F. Ferguson, formerly vice president of The Bank for Savings, 280 Fourth Avenue, now retired, collected mechanical coin banks over a period of eight years. Much of his collection is now in the possession of the Bank, and some items have been on display recently in the main banking room. In our last issue, Mr. Ferguson, who now lives in New Rochelle, told how he came to collect these interesting relics of the past, and he describes some of the mechanical marvels that have come into his possession. His reminiscences continue.

        It was felt in the '70s that mechanical banks would be exciting and at the same time encourage thrift. The idea proved very successful and the more the action the greater the sales, and for longer periods. Along in the nineties the demand began to turn to other playthings. New. banks that came out lagged in sales. Thus the date of a bank has little to do with value, in most cases. Of course there are exceptions, for example, an early bank put out by an obscure maker without proper sales connections, or a poor idea of what the public would like, in action, and so on.

        The collection owned by The Bank for Savings was selected, not for rarity, but as banks having plenty of action and representing animals mostly, to interest the younger depositors. They happen to run mostly to designs patented in the 1880's. There are animal banks, such as the "Bulldog Bank," — a dog sitting on a box; you balance a coin on his nose, then pull his tail; his big jaw opens and the coin drops off his nose into his mouth and down into the box. The girls seemed to be more interested in the "Eagle and Eaglets" bank. The eagle stands by nest with coin in her mouth; press the lever and she dips down to feed her three little eaglets, spreading her wings at the same time; the eaglets lift their heads towards mother, with a little squeak (from a bellows inside) as mother opens mouth and drops the coin, which drops down into the bank part.
        Next would be games, such as the "Calamity" bank. Three football players —which run into each other, and "Darktown Battery," three negroes playing ball, one pitching the coin to the catcher. The batter takes a mighty swing and misses. The catcher moves his arms, but misses, and coin goes through his chest protector and down into the bank. Among banks representing the circus, such as "Acrobats," "Lion and Monkeys" and so on, is an interesting "Boy on the Trapeze," so called. (To be concluded)